“We didn’t want no money – people just kept telling us that this a good place.”
These are the words of Kenny Originally, selector with East London’s legendary King Original sound system. He’s right of course – the fortnightly Arawak sessions at East Oxford Community Centre are a righteous example of uninhibited Jamaican-style dancehall abandon; no-one profits financially, soundmen and audience united simply in appreciation of terrific music that you don’t often get to hear anywhere else. Tonight two of the most respected sound crews in Europe have brought their records and their talents to Oxford, in search of massive amplification and a big room-full of people to absorb it. Oxford, to its credit, provides both in abundance.

The support and promotion of the Roots And Culture Internet community tonight ensures an even wider cultural mix than usual – most of Europe is represented, and on both sides of the decks; Roots Commandment are here from Hamburg, no doubt in the country shopping for some more of the exclusive dub-plates that rock the first hour, accompanied by some commendable stabs at German Yardie-isms on the microphone.

Rocking a big party comes as second nature to the men at King Original – they’ve been doing just that ever since Bob Marley’s `Catch A Fire’ first brought roots reggae to the world’s attention in 1973. Their set disproves any notions that all good reggae must either date from the nineteen-seventies, or have been recorded in Jamaica. The mix takes in everything from Tenor Saw’s 1985 hit ‘Lots Of Sign’ (see also Badmarsh and Shri, sample-spotters) to exclusive new tunes straight out of Jah Tubby’s and Aba-Shanti-I studios. Jamaican originals from Capleton, Junior Kelly, Adrian Sherwood’s Dub Syndicate and the late, great Garnet Silk pave the way, mashed between masterful microphone interjections from Jason and Moonlite, and some “easy jugglin’ ” on the decks. It’s superb stuff.

The new found dominance of a more conscious sound emanating from the Kingston dancehalls means that the importance of the British reggae scene, which has always looked to 1970s roots and dub for its inspiration, cannot now be underestimated. King Original’s exclusive line to the best in heavyweight British digi-dubs is tapped here on many occasions, and never to better effect than when Errol Bellot’s ‘Roots Gone International’ brings the evening to a hazy, heavy close.

Aidan Larkin